Toothpaste
by pursuitofirony
Summary: Rick actually got that truck with the toothpaste for Michonne. How does that change things? Canon divergent. AU/ZA.
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: AU/ZA - Rick does bring back Michonne's toothpaste, so how does that change things?_

 _Chapter One_

He sat on the back of the nearly full truck, the supplies filling it to the brim and beyond. The smile that stretched across his face was rare, and true to him in the moment. For the first time since he woke up in that hospital bed, he felt happy. He felt lighter than a feather, or a hot air balloon that was lit up and set off into the sky on some endless destination, only to be extinguished by the person who set it off.

There had never been such peace in his life like this before. Carl had recovered pretty well, all things considered and little Judith was adjusting to life behind the walls as any toddler would. And then there was her.

 _Michonne._

His hand gripped the toothpaste in his hand tighter – spearmint and baking soda – he smiled to himself, her favorite, she'd said this morning with that million watt smile that he'd found harder and harder to resist. That smile was everything to him, and he'd found that he'd started doing anything and everything that he possibly could to be on the receiving end of it.

He smiled himself, remembering how just a few days ago, she'd started walking around in just a baby blue robe and a towel over her head. She smelled of fresh laundry and lemons. That smell would excite the recesses of his heart and mind that he'd turned off long ago, forgotten by the death of his estranged wife, but was now turned on like a live wire.

'Can I borrow some more toothpaste?' She'd asked, in the most innocent of ways.

His eyes trailed downward, noting how her robe had come apart, just slightly. 'I dunno.'

'What do you mean, you don't know?' She put a hand on one of her supple hips, her chest jutting out even more.

Mesmerized, he found himself doing something he hadn't in years. Flirting. 'How about you make me.'

'Oh, really?' She quirks one of her eyebrows up.

'Yeah,' he responds.

Just as they begin to engage in a flirty and futile battle of wits, Carl's PT ball bounces across the room and knocks them both out of their reverie, and the moment is lost once again. Like it always is. But as Rick continued to sir there in that truck, the wind hitting his face, that box of toothpaste fitting his hand like a constant reminder, he knew that he had to do something about it. He couldn't hide how he felt about her any longer, because he knew that he felt something good for the first time in so, so long and he was going to do something about it.

:

"We're home!" Daryl called out to him, breaking his haze. "Let's get em' to Denise and let Olivia look through them supplies."

"Okay," he replied simply.

Daryl just smirked knowingly at his close friend and brother. He just knew that something was brewing between him and Michonne; what with the heated gazes that they constantly exchanged and the mating dance that they'd been engaged in since their first meeting, he figured that it was about time for them to hook up and settle down, maybe make something good out of all of this. It was about as sappy as he allowed himself to be in this world.

After they took the strange Jesus man to something akin to a "jail cell," Daryl said that he'd take over and allowed his friend to go home, or take over for him at a later time.

"You should go home, man. She's probably waitin' up for ya," Daryl said simply, and went back into the house to guard the strange ninja from a place unknown.

:

Rick didn't know why his heart was bearing like a jack hammer in his chest, kinda like it did at his first prom when he was seventeen and finally knew what it was like to be in love with a girl. But somehow the feeling was different to him now.

It was better.

It was more.

It was different.

He wasn't chasing ghosts anymore, and he wasn't worried that he'd let her down. He just wanted so desperately to be enough for her, and this toothpaste could be that for him. So, when he heard her footsteps, his head turned around so fast that he nearly broke his neck.

"Move," she said, but he was already halfway there.

"Hey," his voice was hoarse with nerves.

"Hey, yourself. Thought you would be out there all night," she told him. "I'm glad you're home."

With a shrug of his shoulders, he began to take his boots off. "Glad to be home."

"Long day?" She guessed, a smile in her voice.

He averted his eyes to face her, noting how her hair was pulled back for the night, and her skin was luminescent and glowed under the bright light of the darkness. He took in the way her greying tank top molded to her, and her pants fit her like a second skin.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Just wanna turn my brain off."

She giggled a bit. "Me too. Anything significant happen, though?"

He shrugged again, a noncommittal sort of way. "We found a guy, nearly lost a truck, but we managed to get both back here. Daryl's got him in the holding cell."

"Oh," she said. "We found someone too."

Rick felt his chest lurch, his heart dropping into his stomach. "You found someone?"

"Sort of," she said, not elaborating.

It was then that Rick decided to pull it out, the toothpaste. And maybe, just maybe she'd see his feelings for her, the ones that he wore on his face as clear as day. He was terrified of rejection, but he was even more terrified of the thought of not telling her how he felt for her, because he knew that that'd be worse. He'd always wonder how she felt, if she felt anything.

He didn't realize until that moment, how much the thought of her finding someone else scared her, but also propelled him forward. Propelled him to finally act on all of those dormant feelings for her. "I got you something," he found himself saying.

He reached behind himself, reaching for the single box of toothpaste that he'd found for her and thrust it awkwardly at her. Offering it almost like a thirteen year old boy would offer a girl a flower or ask her to their grade school dance.

But it was all worth it a moment later, when he saw her eyes light up like a Christmas tree or a million little stars in the night sky. Her eyes glistened, as her top lip quivered a bit. "You got this for me?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I promised you that I'd get it for you."

She simply nodded in return, looking as though she were taking it all in, and then her arms were around him, pulling him into a tight, lingering embrace. He pulled her up, off of the beige sofa and held her there, for a long while. His arms went down to the crook of her neck; her arms went up to his curls. It felt so good to hold her like this, to do this for her. When his arms slowly pulled away, their bodies parting in an awkwardly dance, brown eyes met blue ones. Electric currents flowed invisibly between them.

His eyes darted downward to her lips, as he licked his own. His thoughts became clouded by one singular thought. 'I want to kiss her.' The space between them was closed immediately, as he grasped her by the waist, his breath hot and heavy against her face, her rapid breaths hitting his neck.

With the space nearly closed, they both closed their eyes, revelling in it until—

"We've got a problem," came Daryl's unwelcome voice."

With an irritated sigh, Rick turned around. "What happened?"

"That guy from earlier," Daryl said. "He wants to talk."


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

 _Previously..._

 _With the space nearly closed, they both closed their eyes, revelling in it until—_

 _"We've got a problem," came Daryl's unwelcome voice."_

 _With an irritated sigh, Rick turned around. "What happened?"_

 _"That guy from earlier," Daryl said. "He wants to talk."_

:

"Can you-can you give us a moment?" Rick asked of his friend. "Whatever this is...we'll settle it, but we," Rick motioned between himself and Michonne. "Just needed to take care of something first."

Daryl just nodded, his eyes bouncing like a stray tennis ball between the two almost-lovers. That thick air between them, it was all hot and fiery hadn't defused a single bit, and Daryl felt as though he was sitting inside of the top of a hot air balloon, and at any moment they'd let go of it and it'd deflate, and all of that sexual tension would come floating his way.

He knew exactly what this was, deciding the best course of action was to just leave. Rick's hard stare and tilted head told him everything, and what it said was that he should bolt out of there as quickly as possible.

"Y'all finish up here, I'll wait at Denise's!" He said, and then ran out, not skipping a beat.

After Daryl was gone, the room suddenly became _so_ quiet. The type of quiet where you could hear your own heartbeat, the steady pumping of blood through your bloodstream and Rick swore in the moment, that he could hear his own heartbeat and his ragged breaths intertwining with hers.

He took a step closer. And closer still. He invaded her space, and _dared_ her to back away from him, to stop this moment that they desperately craved from happening, but instead, she inched closer to him, and closer still.

"We should probably...," Michonne attempted to speak, but trailed off.

His crystal clear blue eyes had turned several shades darker, and his pale skin was flushed. Their bodies were once again pressed together, so close that she could feel the hardened crevices of his light blue denim shirt against her chest.

He put his hands up behind her on the front doorway, and trapped her against the door, looking her straight in the eyes. And for a moment, they just stared at each other, doing their mind melding dance, their overally impassioned battle of wits, only this time, it was saying just one thing, 'I still want you.'

The light from the lamp created a shadow, and made Michonne luminous. Her dark skin shone bright, her dark brown eyes had a fire in them. Her breathing was once again heavy, and when she looked at him like this, she noted just how absolutely stunning he was. She could see each greying fleck in his blue irises, and each freckle on his nose, which she wanted to count one day. She could see the scars of war dotting his nose and cheeks. It was more intimate than kissing him, because she felt like their souls were melting together.

His curly mop of dark brown hair was drenched in drying sweat, and his hard, yet lean body was so close to hers that she felt like they would become one soon.

He stared at her too. Wanting so badly to kiss her soft, shapely lips. He noted every scar that dotted her face and wanted to ask how she'd gotten them and when. He could see the light in her eyes, and the careful manner in which her dreads aged, still soft. She was so close to him that he could feel the soft mounds of her breasts, and the strong form of her body. To him she was everything, to her she was all of it.

Finally, as if an eternity had passed between them, he closed the space between them, allowing their lips to touch. When they did touch, it was as if a firecracker had gone off, more accurately, it was like holding a sparkler in your hands. The slow simmering light of it exploding into something so big and extravagant.

At first, they nibbled on each other's lips, exploring each other like virginal teenagers. His hands went from the wall to the top of her shoulders, rubbing all the way down her arms in a gentle caress until they reached the small of her back. Her arms wrapped around his lower body, and then trailed up until she reached the nape of his neck, gently tugging the curls there.

When he did this, he moaned slightly into her mouth, and kissed her rougher and deeper. His mouth opening wider and wider, allowing her tongue to slip in between his now plump lips. Their tongues tangled together, like two winding pieces of rope or a twisted cherry stem.

She could feel her body feeling the type of warmth that she hadn't experienced since before all of this. The sensations bubbling within her were akin to a dormant volcano finally erupting. She tugged his hair harder, secretly enjoying the breathy gasp that he let out. She could barely breathe, but she kept going. Their heads tilting at a new angle to explore new parts of each other's mouths. He began to move her back towards the couch, and she relented, wanting to see how far they could take this. But she opened her eyes during the kiss, seeing how his eyes were firmly pressed closed, but when he sensed her opened eyes, he opened his and they locked eyes mid-kiss.

'I don't know what this is,' he spoke with his eyes. 'But I want it all the time.'

'Me too,' She agreed and closed her eyes once more, falling back into the couch. He fell into her embrace, and began to rub himself into her, her strong legs wrapped around him.

The sound of footsteps came from somewhere in the distance, but the both of them ignored it, choosing to continue their delicious romp on the couch.

"What the hell are you doing in our-" Carl began, before flicking on the light, his gun drawn.

Rick and Michonne were still engaged in a passionate kiss on the couch, and didn't hear him. Carl didn't know what to do. Did he pretend that he didn't see shit or did he embarrass them further? He chose the latter despite feeling queasy.

"Dad!" He called out. "Michonne."

They broke apart, eying Carl, and the front door busted open, revealing Abraham, Glenn, and Maggie, all holding guns and pointing them. They'd come to find the Jesus man who'd escaped after Daryl had come over without telling everyone else that he hadn't come here and now they were in quite the predicament. Her legs were still around Rick's waist and his hands were cupping her ass, their faces still flushed, and lips still plump from kissing.

As if electrocuted, the broke apart from each other and hopped off the couch, deeply embarrassed by what everyone had just witnessed.

"Daryl said that guy wants to talk, he ain't here," Rick finally breathed out. "They're at Denise's."

Everyone who was momentarily frozen over what they'd just seen ran out of the house, towards the direction of the house, but Carl stayed and smirked at the two of them and then headed upstairs to check on Judith.

When everyone cleared out again, Rick lingered, eying a mortified Michonne.

"Well, I guess everyone knows now," Rick said, a sheepish smile on his face.

"We don't have any luck today, do we? First Daryl and then the whole town," Michonne finds herself giggling.

But Rick's next words take the wind out of her. "We will finish this later, and nobody will interrupt that."

And with that, he strolled out, leaving her nearly panting after him.

:

When they arrived, everyone was staring at them with knowing eyes and smiles, even little Judith. Michonne felt like she wanted to crawl under the table with how they were all looking at her, she needed this to end soon. And she needed to explain to Carl what exactly he'd walked in on. But she didn't even know what this was yet.

As if reading her mind, Rick decided to speak to this man.

"Daryl said you wanted to talk, so let's talk," Rick said.

Jesus eyed Rick, unafraid of his demeanor, but surveyed the room, looking for some kind of way to break the ice. He found it in how everyone eyed him, and the samurai woman across from him.

"I know you're Rick, but who is she?" He looked towards her curiously.

"Michonne," she answered before Rick could, and Jesus noted this.

Whatever relationship they had, she lead it. She was his in.

"I come from a community much like yours, about a days drive away. We have food, lots of it, and livestock, but it looks like your community is running low on resources. I was able to check out your pantry and saw that your food situation is bad," he began. "And at first, I truly thought that you'd get the truck and just leave me out there, but I figure that we can work out some sort of deal."

"What sort of a deal?" Rick questioned.

"We split the supplies and I let you in on a little secret about a man that's terrorizing us," Jesus told them.

This piques Rick's interest. "What man?"

"You'll have to come back to my community with me and you'll have to split the truck. I need half of those supplies," Jesus explains.

"Why should we trust you?" Michonne asked him.

Jesus just chuckles. "Your word is about to get a whole lot bigger."

"How?" Maggie asks in the background.

"My community, the Hilltop, we trade with many other communities," he explains to them. "But recently, a group called the Saviours and their leader has been killing people for food and supplies. I need half of that truck to help my people, or I give you all of it for exchange for your skills."

"Our skills?" Rick questions him.

"You have a stocked armory, fighters. My community has food, which you're lacking. We are in a position to help each other," he says.

"Again, why should we trust you?" Asks Rick.

"Why did you take me back here in the first place?"

For this, Rick has no answer.

"I will take you back to my community and you can decide that way," the man persists.

Rick averts his eyes to Michonne for guidance, she just nods her head.

"Okay," he concedes. "We'll see."

:

Outside, Rick and Michonne find themselves confiding in each other about what was said. There was a man out there, maybe terrorizing his community, but he knew that Michonne's judgement was the only thing that could sway him.

"Should we trust this guy?" Rick asked her.

His voice was soft, as he watched her.

"I think that we should," she finally said. "I just have a bad feeling about all of this."

"You think we shouldn't go through with it?"

"No, I just..."

"What?"

She took a moment to properly formulate her thoughts. "Whatever guy he's talking about...should we just go into whatever this is?"

"I think that we should look into it. They've got food and we need it," Rick told her.

"That's true," she admitted. "And Rick?"

"Yeah?"

She felt her face get warm at what she was about to do. She walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her breath hot against his neck. "After this is over, I'll make good on your offer.

Now was his turn to watch her walk away, watching her ass as she went. He knew that whatever happened at the Hilltop, this would be well worth it.


End file.
